Side-loading hearse with swivel platform and operating mechanism



May 16v 1933. F. w. HARRIS SIDE LOADING HEARSE WITH SWIVEL PLATFORM AND OPERATING MECHANISM Filed July 20, 192 9 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 27 2a Z6 Z9 May 16; 1933. w HARR|$ 1,909,674

SIDE LOADING HEARSE WITH SWIVEL PLATFORM AND OPERATING MECHANISM Filed July 20, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 16, 1933 UNITED STATES FORD W. HARRIS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO BIG ROCK RANCH CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA COMPANY, or LOS ANGELES,

SIDE-LOADING- HEARSE 'WITH SWIVEL PLATFORM AND OPERATING MECHANISM Application filed July 20,

My invention relates to burial cars or hearses and relates in particular to side-loading hearses. V

In side-loading hearses it iscustomary to load and unload a casket from the hearse through an opening in the side thereof. Hearses of this type have manyadvantages particularly in citieswhere it is extremely difficult to load a hearse through an opening iii in the rear thereof in accordance with the practice which prevailed for many years.

It is an object of my invention to provide an appliance which may be installed in a body of a standard make of automobile to is make a side-loading hearse. It has heretofore been difficult to make a side-loading hearse from a standard automobile due to the narrowness of the door openings and the difficulty of securing the correct move- 26 ment for the mechanism in order to load and unload the casket through the door openings.

It is a further object of my invention to provide in a hearse of the above class, a casket-supporting platform having a com- 1325 bination of rotary and translatory :motion so as to facilitate loading and unloading of the casket from the hearse- It is another object of my invention to provide an appliance of the above class in 0 which all pivot points lie in the hearsebody thereby making it possible to provide bearings of strong construction at the piv ot points.

It is also an object of my invention to provide an automatic operating means for an appliance of the above class in which a proper translatory motion is imparted to the platform as theplatform is pivoted about a pivot point.

It is another object of my invention to provide in an appliance of the above class a means for preventing a rotation of the platq form until the platform has been moved, with a translatory motion, a suflicient distance to prevent engagement of the platform with the sides of the hearse body. 7

Further objects of my invention will be evident in the ensuing description.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a hearse embody- PATENT" OFFICE 1929. Serial No. 379,790.

ing my retracted position within the body of the hearse- Fig. 2 is a plan View showing the mechanism in extended or loading position.

Fig. 3 is a side view showingthe mechanism in the position shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken on the lines 5 5 of Figs. 1 and 4.

As best shown in Figs. l'to- 3 inclusive, a hearse 11 of my inventionfis made from a standard sedan automobile having conventional parts such as a body 12, hood 13, front and rear doors 14 and 15, etc. In applying my invention to an automobile it is necessary to remove the rear seat thereof in order to v make room for the appliance of my invention in the rear of the body 12.

Asbest shown in Figs. 1 to 4, secured at the rear and center of a floor 18 in the body 12 is a pedestal 19 which supports the lower race of a bearing 20, the upper race of which is supported on the lower raceand is secured thereto by a pivot pin 21. The upper race of the bearing 20 supports the rear end invention showing the mechanism in of a horizontal framework 22'so as to pivot theframework 22 about an aXis of the bearing 20. The free end of the framework 22 is provided with casters or rollers 24 which are supported on the floor 18. The framework 22 is provided with a longitudinally slotted opening 25, the longitudinal edges 26 of which are beveled as best shown in Fig. 5. Secured to the framework 22-below the iongitudinal edges are bars or gibs 27 having beveled edges 28 which form grooves with the beveled edges 26. Slidably engaging the grooves thus formed are projections 29 on a block 30 which slides longitudinally in-the opening 25. The block 30 supports the lower race of a bearing 32, the upper race of which is supported on the lower race and is secured thereto by a pivot pin 33. The upperrace of the bearing 32 supports a pedestal 34 which is secured to center ofthe lower side of a platform 36 so as to pivotally support the platform 36 about an axis of the bearing 32.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, rollers 37 are provided along longitudinal edges of the platform 36 so as to permit a casket to be freely rolled thereon. Secured to the frame 22 near the bearing 20 are guide'rails 38 which provide a groove for receiving a roller 40 on the lower end of a pin 41 secured to theplatform 36. The engagement of the roller 40 on the end of the pin 41 with the guide rails 38 provides a means for holding the platform 36 and the framework 22 in alignment when the block 30 is moved to a rearward position in the opening 25, the length of the guide rails 38 being such that the pin 41 is disengaged and the platform 36 is allowed to rotate when the block 30 is slid to a forward position in the opening 25.

For holdin the latform 36 in a transportable position longitudinally of the body, as shown in Fig. 1, a locking means 43 is provided which comprises a shaft 44 journaled by bearings 45 on the floor 18, the shaft 44 being turned by a handle 46 and having a dog 47 which engages a slotted opening in the forward end of the framework 22.

Secured to the floor 18, in longitudinal alignment with the bearing 20 and slightly ahead of the locking means 43, is a vertical pedestal 50 which is best shown in Fig. 3. At the top of the pedestal 50 is rotatably se cured a horizontal pulley 51 around which passes a chain 52 or other flexible connecting member. The chain 52 has the ends thereof connected respectively to the forward end of the framework 22 and to the block 30. The pulley 51 and the chain 52 form the automatic operating means of my invention and the chain 52 is made of such length that it is taut when the frame is in the transportable position, as shown in Fig. 1, and when the block 30 is slid to the extreme rear position in the opening 25.

As best shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, stops 55 are provided at either side of the body 12 to engage the framework 22 and prevent the platform 36 from engaging the sides of the body 12 when it is rotated.

In the operation of my invention the hearse 11 is driven to the place where a casket is to be received, the rear door 15 is opened, the locking means 43 is unlocked so as to permit rotation. of the framework 22 about the bearing 20 and the operator pulls on the forward end of the platform 36. The platform 36 is prevented from rotating relative to the framework 22 due to the engagement of the pin 41 Withthe groove provided by the guide rails 38, and the framework 22 therefore rot-ates about the bearing 20. As the framework 22 is rotated out of alignment with the pulley 51 the distance'between the forward end of the framework 22 and the pulley 51 increases, which causes the chain 52 to pull the block 30 forward in the opening 25. When the block 30 is moved sufficiently forward in the opening 25 to disengage the pin 41 from the groove provided by the guide rails 38 the platform 36 is free to rotate relative to the framework 22 and is rotated by the operator to the position as shown in Fig. 2, in which an end of the platform 36 extends out of the opening provided by the door 15. The mechanism is then in the loading position and a casket may then be loaded on the. platform 36 in which position it is shown in Fig. 3. The platform 36 is then rotated to engage the pin 41 with the groove provided by the guide rails 38 and the framework 22 is rotated back in the transportable position as shown in Fig-"1Q The locking means 43 is then locke'dand the hearse is then ready to carry the casket to its destination-f i It is ficationsinthe embodiment of my invention which. is illustrated in the attached draw ings, but it should be understood. that the drawings are for illustrative purposes only. For example, it is possible to design theapparatus' so that the chain 52 may be secured to the block 30 anddirectly tothe pedestal 50. It is also possible by using additional pulleys to have the chain 52 automatically return the block 30 to a rearward position'in the slot 25 as-the framework'22 is rotated.

back to the transportable position as shown in Fig. 1. It is also possible, by placing a rack onthe framework 22 and a pinion on the platform 36, to automatically turn the platform 36 as the framework 22 is rotated. These andother modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a hearse, the combination of: a body; a framework 'pivotally supported in said body; slide means translatably supported by said framework; and a platform rotatably supported by said slide means, said platform being adapted to support a casket in said body. 2. In a hearse, the combination of: a body; a framework pivotally supported in said body; slide means translatably supported by saidframework; a platform rotatably supported bysaid slide means, said platform being adapted to support a casket in said body; and automatic means for translating said. slide means when said framework is pivoted.

3. In a hearse, the combination of: a body;

a framework pivotally supported in said body; slide means translatably supported by said framework; a platform rotatably supported by said slide means, said platform being adapted to support a casket'in saidbody; a pulley member secured to said body and a flexible connecting member passing around possible to make a number of modi said pulley member and connecting said framework and said slide means.

i. In a hearse, the combination of: a body;

a framework pivotally supported in saidbody; guide means on said framework; a block engaging said guide means so as to slide relative to said framework; and a platform rotatably supported by said block.

5. In a hearse, the combination of: a body; a framework pivotally supported in said body; a platform adapted to support a casket in said body, said platform being so supported by said framework as to permit relative rotation and translation therebetween; a guide means on said framework; and a pin member engaging said guide means during only a portion of the translation movement of said platform.

6. In a hearse, the combination of: a body; a framework pivoted to swing in said body; a block slidably mounted in said framework; and a platform pivoted on said block.

7. In a hearse, the combination of: a body; a framework pivoted to swing in said body; a block slidably mounted in said framework; a platform pivoted on said block; and means for swinging said platform about its pivot as said framework swings about its pivot.

8. In a hearse, the combination of: a body having doors in the side thereof; a framework mounted on a pivot which is stationary with relation to said body; a block mounted to slide in said framework; and a platform pivoted on said block in such a position that said platform can be swung to project through one of said doors.

9. In a hearse, the combination of: a body having doors in the side thereof; a framework mounted on a pivot which is stationary with relation to said body; a block mounted to slide in said framework; a platform pivoted on said block in such a position that said platform can be swung to project through one of said doors; and means for causing said platform to rotate about its pivot as said framework rotates about its pivot.

10. In a hearse, the combination \of: a body; a structure pivoted to said body; a platform; a member upon which said platform is pivoted; and means for so mounting said member in said structure that it can slide with relation thereto.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 15th day of July, 1929.

' FORD W. HARRIS. 

